Literature reviews

A literature review, or literature survey, can be either a key component of a larger paper such as a report or dissertation, or you may be asked to write one for its own sake. This book shows you how to write a present a review appropriately.

Research

Literature reviews start with literature searches - use your lecture notes or reading lists to begin the process, and then allow your range of research to grow as you make more connections between texts and other sources.

Remember that there is a huge amount of advice on how to carry out and evaluate your searches in the Research book.

Keep details of all sourcesYou will have to return to your books and write references for them all so make sure you keep details. At all stages of your literature search remember to note down details such as:

This will help if you find you need to go back to a reference you have used before. It is also essential in order to compile an accurate bibliography, which will be required when writing up your research.

Beware:

Whilst the abstract or publisher’s comments on the cover of a book give you some idea of the content, do not be tempted to use this material for the purpose of your review.

The information contained here is no more than a sales pitch to get you to buy/read the book. It is only by reading the core material that you can establish its worth and place it in context.

Set your context

The purpose of your literature review is to set your own work in a context of research and theories that other people have developed. You are making it clear that you understand your area of study well by showing your knowledge of other researchers.

A good review will show where others have been before you, but equally importantly where they have not been. If you can identify 'virgin territory' - areas that other people haven't fully investigated - this can provide interesting avenues for your own research.

Steps:

Read widely but not necessarily in any depth to give yourself an overview of the material. You can then focus in on those aspects which have relevance to your project.

Become selective - Pick out the authors and works who say the most about the topic you are investigating, and whose work you can use to support the arguments you want to develop.

Read the most relevant material in depth and with a critical eye. What work relates to your topic? Which authors do you agree or disagree with?

Have a thesis statement in mind while you work - a plan of what you hope to achieve and say in the paper.This plan may change as you go through your research, but it will give you direction, and help you to select the most relevant authors for your literature review.

Set out your findings

Review the existing literature in terms of both history and theme.

The review should be more than a furniture catalogue in which every book gets a two line entry. It should show that ‘the writer has studied existing work in the field with insight’. (Haywood and Wragg 1982 p.2)

Present it correctly

The short passage below is an example of what you might expect from a literature review. There is no fixed format and you may need to modify your style according to the type of material you are presenting.

However, the essay approach here allows more flexibility for making comparisons. It highlights specific areas of interest and draws attention to areas of concern, instead of a book by book listing.

Specimen Review:

In considering the independent nature of cats, Williams (1983) in a study conducted in Southern Australia found evidence to suggest that not all of the feline species exhibited this trait. Similar findings were reported from studies in Sumatra by Dr. Kifzal Eppah (1987), Westcott (1988) and later by Prof. Edward Clarke (1991) working in the department of Zoology at Koopora University, New Zealand. However, what is noticeable here is that all these studies were carried out in the southern hemisphere, whereas results from studies conducted in North America and Europe produced a very different set of results.

Whittaker (1984) in Seattle and Osman (1984) in Copenhagen conducted parallel studies on twenty-five species of cat using a series of commonly developed tests; the results of which show a remarkable degree of correlation, which tends to reinforce the belief that cats do indeed exhibit a degree of independence far greater than most other species. This is in itself not very surprising given that they started from the premise that similar conditions should produce similar results. The problem with this approach is that it tends to create a ‘self fulfilling prophesy’ and material drawn from these studies must be treated with a degree of circumspection.

All these studies, with the exception of Dr. Eppah’s CLAW project, were carried out in laboratory conditions. In contrast, Dr. Eppah chose to study domestic cats in their natural setting (owners homes) which makes the closeness of his results with those of Williams, Westcott and Clarke all the more remarkable.

There seems to be little written on the effect of climatic differences encountered in these studies and although the majority of them were carried out in laboratory conditions there is no mention of climate control. This is one area that this paper will address.

For a longer and more detailed example of a literature review:

See pages 33-38 of Doing Your Research Project by Judith Bell (1993) Open University Press, ISBN 0-335-19094-4. Use the link below to find it:

Avoiding plagiarism

Plagiarism is taking the words, theories, creations or ideas of another person and passing them off as your own.

Plagiarism can be deliberate – copying a passage from a book or journal or pasting something from the internet into an assignment without referencing the original source.

You can also commit inadvertent plagiarism which is where you unintentionally repeat some of the information you have read in the course of your research. You must ensure you do reference ALL material that comes from another source so question yourself as to whether you have read the information elsewhere and go back to your sources to locate the reference.

Plagiarism can also result from not referencing correctly. You must ensure you know how to reference your work using the style advised by your tutor.

Plagiarism is a serious issue that can result in failing an assignment, failing the year or even having to leave the course. All forms of plagiarism will be taken seriously - deliberate or not!

Plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct. Southampton Solent University has clear guidelines on student academic conduct and procedures for dealing with academic misconduct. Make sure you are familiar with these by looking at the links on this webpage: